Recently he published a second blog discussing value stream mapping—something any IT business leader studies carefully in order to ensure his/her company is delivering the greatest value to customers. In the software business we are used to seeing the world in flows, chains, loops, cycles and streams. We understand the interconnectedness of individual tasks as well as the challenge of analyzing performance and value when dealing with such complex products.

Lean business practices have helped us over the years to strip down all the noise in business and get to the heart of why we do what we do. One of the Lean practices is to map the value of a product or service. By doing this today, software organizations can see exactly what they are providing to customers and can then greatly improve their offering and ultimately customer satisfaction.

Measurements are of course essential to this process, as the saying goes, “How can you manage what you can’t measure?” With value stream mapping, an organization can use customer feedback to understand what works and what doesn’t and ultimately create a better product. But how do you collect that feedback and analyze it?